world_of_homestuckfandomcom-20200214-history
071514condescemerrow
10:55 LL: As soon as you are done messaging that INFURIATING HIGHBLOOD, there is a knock at your door. 10:57 AA: Merrow grunts, then moves toward the door. In his paranoia, he has had a MINIATURE EXTERIOR VIEWING APERTURE installed in his TRANSITION PORTAL, to make sure anyone who comes to his room is not an assassin, and he checks this now before opening the door. 10:58 AA: "WHO SEEKS AN AUDIENCE WITH THE PRINCE?" 10:58 LL: "Her Imperial Condescension summons you." 10:59 LL: It's one of the many faceless drones. 10:59 AA: MERROW GROANS. "FANTASTIC. WE SHALL BE RIGHT ALONG." 11:00 AA: MERROW SITS ON HIS FLOOR FOR EXACTLY FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE GETTING UP AND LEAVING HIS ROOM. IT BRINGS HIM JOY TO MAKE HER WAIT. 11:00 AA: (( Oops. )) 11:00 AA: "VERY WELL. IS SHE IN THE THRONE ROOM?" 11:01 LL: "Yes. I am to escort you." You notice for the first time the guard is armed. 11:02 AA: Merrow eyes the weapon. "IS THERE SOME REASON YOU FEEL *THAT* IS NECESSARY?" he says, nodding to the drone's armaments. 11:03 LL: "I'm just following orders, your highness." He nods down the hallway. 11:04 AA: "VERY GOOD. SHALL WE FOLLOW BEHIND YOU THEN, SO THAT YOU MAY PROTECT US FROM ANY ASSASSINS THAT MAY BE HIDING AROUND THE CORNERS?" 11:04 AA: "SEVERAL FEET BEHIND, PERHAPS. JUST IN CASE." 11:05 LL: "You are to walk ahead of me, to ensure you go where you're ordered." 11:05 AA: "WHY WOULD WE EVER DEVIATE FROM THE REQUESTS OF OUR DEAREST MOTHER?" 11:05 AA: "WE ARE NOTHING IF NOT OBEDIENT." 11:06 LL: "Then you'll proceed ahead." 11:07 AA: Merrow grimaces, having been caught in his own logic. A careless mistake he can not afford to repeat. He proceeds as requested, but all of his attention is on the "guard" at his back, rather than where he's going. 11:07 AA: "VERY WELL." 11:08 LL: The guard doesn't move to shoot, but walks behind you all the way to HER throne room. 11:09 AA: Merrow walks into the throne room, considering whether or not he could fake a need to use the BIOLOGICAL REFRESHMENT FACILITIES before continuing, to make the Condesce wait on him longer. 11:09 LL: When you enter, it is as it has always been. Pillars of red Alternian Marble, and large windows through which one can see the Marine life. She is sitting on her throne, with assistants clustered around her, asking for approval of the latest designs for her FASHION ENTERPRISE. 11:09 AA: But he decides against it, feeling nervous with this drone behind him. 11:10 AA: "MOTHER. WE WERE TOLD THAT YOU WISHED TO SEE US?" 11:11 AA: "AND WE SEE THAT YOU SENT A....IMPRESSIVELY ARMED GUARDIAN TO ESCORT AND PROTECT US FROM ANY WOULD-BE NE'ERDOWELLS ON OUR SHORT CONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL. HOW THOUGHTFUL." 11:13 LL: She doesn't look up from the obnoxiously large binder being lifted by a struggling servant. "We are to understand that you have been speaking with Darmok Aggaro." 11:13 AA: "WE DO NOT KNOW THE NAME DARMOK. BUT AGGARO IS THE NAME OF ONE OF THE HIGH RANKING HIGHBLOODS, IS IT NOT?" 11:16 AA: Merrow thinks for a moment, deciding how much to reveal. The witch KNOWS things sometimes that she shouldn't, and it wouldn't do to be caught out in an outright lie. But a little obfuscation is only to be expected. She would almost be insulted if he DIDN'T flub the truth a little... 11:16 LL: "Yes. You spoke to his son, moments ago. cthonicCatamite?" 11:17 AA: Ah. Of course. She must be having his network traffic logged. He would have to remember to find an encrypted client in the future. 11:17 AA: "IN THAT CASE YES. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SOMEONE GOING BY THAT HANDLE." 11:18 AA: (( *WE )) 11:18 AA: "WE BELIEVE HE MAY HAVE BEEN INDULGING IN NARCOTICS. HIS WORDS WERE NONSENSICAL." 11:19 AA: "...APROPOS OF NOTHING, WAS THE ELDER AGGARO EVER A PERSON YOU HONORED WITH MUCH....TRUST?" 11:19 AA: "...FOR EXAMPLE, NAMES THAT OTHERS MIGHT NOT KNOW?" 11:20 LL: "He is the commander of our military, and as such we have utmost faith in him." She finally looks at Merrow, down the bridge of her nose, haughtily. "Commander Aggaro knows many things. His son knows things he should not." 11:21 AA: "YES. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE CASE." 11:22 AA: "WE ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE PLACED HIM, AND THE COMMANDER, UNDER OBSERVATION?" 11:23 LL: ((one sec)) 11:25 AA: "IF WE RECALL OUR HISTORY CORRECTLY THERE WAS SOME QUESTION OF THE COMMANDER'S LOYALTIES AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE WAR CRIMINAL FROM THE HUMMUSSES, ALREADY, WERE THERE NOT?" 11:25 AA: (( Okay. )) 11:26 LL: "She was released as part of the deal negotiating the Truce." The Condesce leans back in her throne. "In truth, we and the Commander have had you under observation for some time." 11:26 AA: "ONLY FOR OUR OWN PROTECTION, WE ARE SURE." 11:27 AA: "YOU ARE NOTHING IF NOT A DOTING AND PROTECTIVE PARENT, AFTER ALL." 11:28 LL: "Yes. That's why we've decided to have you be the first." 11:29 AA: Merrow begins racking his brain, trying to figure out if he said anything that might look bad if the Condesce knew about it. He had been careful, right? Never said anything that might be construed as treasonous? 11:31 LL: The Condesce smiles sweetly. "You have heard of this new game coming out, yes? SBase?" 11:32 AA: "OH. YES. WE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE BETA RELEASE, BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK YET." 11:32 AA: "WE HAD CONSIDERED PULLING SOME STRINGS, BUT FEARED IT MIGHT BE SEEN AS UNSPORTING." 11:36 LL: "The strings have already been pulled. The Beta 'sign ups' were a ruse. We began the selection process for candidates 13 years ago, when we negotiated the truce." 11:36 AA: Merrow blinks. "THAT IS....AN ODD THING TO DO FOR A SIMPLE VIDEO GAME." 11:37 AA: "NOT TO SUGGEST THAT OUR REVERED MOTHER IS ODD, OF COURSE! ONLY THAT THIS ACTION SEEMS TO SUGGEST THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYE." 11:38 LL: "Everything we speak of from this point on is confidential information. Do you understand?" 11:39 AA: Merrow's interested now. "YES. UNDERSTOOD." 11:41 LL: She flicks her hand in irritation. All but the four armed guards leave the room. 11:42 LL: "As I'm sure you are aware, over the years, there has been some... tension... between us." 11:42 AA: "YOU MEAN THE TROLLS AND THE HUMMUSSES?" 11:44 LL: "I mean you and I." 11:44 AA: Merrow is caught a little off guard by this. 11:45 AA: "NO MORE THAN IS NORMAL FOR A MOTHER AND HER TEENAGED SON, WE ARE SURE." 11:45 LL: "I wouldn't know. My mother was quite distant." She stands, and descends the dias, walking towards you. "Well, it's time we put that behind us." 11:46 AA: Merrow is on guard, unsure what's happening. Is she....is she attacking him? 11:48 LL: In what can only be described as the most awkward moment in the history of Alternia, your mother attempts to hug you. 11:48 AA: Merrow does not know what to do. After a few moments, he awkwardly returns the hug, more or less stunned into silence. 11:49 AA: "YOU'RE NOT DYING, ARE YOU MOTHER?" Merrow sounds confused and maybe even a little distraught, to even his own surprise. 11:50 LL: "No. We've taken precautions. Though whether or not I continue to live, or any of us do, is going to fall on your shoulders." 11:50 AA: "OURS? YOU WOULD....YOU WOULD TRUST US WITH SUCH RESPONSIBILITY?" 11:53 LL: "I don't have a choice, or else I'd have taken the responsibility on my own shoulders." She sighs. "Do you recall that large rock out in the Reef?" 11:54 AA: Merrow nods. 11:54 AA: (( Actually, I guess I should have asked if I do or not. )) 11:54 LL: "That rock is where we found you, as a wriggler." ((yeah it's fine. LOL)) 11:55 AA: "'FOUND' US?" 11:56 AA: "ARE WE NOT YOUR TRUEBORN SON THEN? HAS OUR POSITION AS YOUR HEIR BEEN A LIE ALL THIS TIME?" 11:56 AA: Merrow looks like he's been punched in the stomach. 11:57 AA: "THIS HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF OUR CONFLICT THEN....WE ARE AN IMPOSTER, WITH NO CLAIM TO YOUR NAME." 11:57 LL: "No... we have had you genetically tested. You are our son, though we didn't submit any pails to any drones, or engage in base human relations." She touches your cheek fondly. 11:57 AA: "WE....DO NOT UNDERSTAND." 11:58 LL: "Neither did we. It took a lot of research, but we quickly learned that you were sent for a reason. For this... SBase." 11:59 AA: "THIS SEEMS....A SOMEWHAT TRIVIAL PROMPT FOR SUCH SHENANIGANS." 12:00 LL: "You would think, but here we are. Further research revealed that the game would trigger the apocalypse when played, and that we couldn't prevent its execution." 12:00 AA: "WHAT." 12:02 AA: "MOTHER, ARE YOU TEASING US?" 12:02 LL: "However, Twenty Players are to be selected. We managed to identify, and track, all of them. As they came from both humans and trolls, we decided that a truce would prevent a mutually assured destruction." She sighs. 12:02 LL: She shakes her head. "We wish we were." 12:04 AA: "SO THE APOCALYPSE HAPPENS ONCE THE GAME IS PLAYED. WHICH IS....WHAT, A FEW WEEKS? MONTHS? WE ASSUME YOU HAVE KEPT IT FROM THE PUBLIC TO PREVENT PANIC?" 12:05 LL: "Yes. Three months time. All but those chosen to play, and their immediate families, will be wiped out. As such, for your safety, we have decided to move you all to a secure military compound." 12:05 AA: Merrow nods. This makes sense. 12:06 AA: "AND THERE IS NO WAY TO PRESERVE THE OTHERS? AN EMPIRE OF....WHAT, THIRTY OR FORTY? IS NOT MUCH OF AN EMPIRE." 12:07 LL: She grins. "Aah, but that is only temporary. You see, our research leads us to believe that if this game is beaten, the winners will be given dominion over an entire universe." 12:08 LL: "As such a feat would be worthy only of my son, I see no reason why he would not, in the course of the game, subjugate the humans, and rule over this new universe as the Alternian Emperor. I would be quite content to retire to being Empress Dowager in such a situation." 12:08 AA: "NOW THAT IS APPEALING. HOWEVER....WE HAVE A DUTY TO THOSE WHO WE RULE OVER, DO WE NOT? IS THERE NO WAY TO SAVE THE CITIZENS OF THIS UNIVERSE?" 12:10 LL: "Only those in the military base at the time of its entry will be saved. So we are moving as much essential personnel in as possible. Sadly, the humans have demanded some input on who 'essential personnel' are." 12:11 AA: "OF COURSE. AND TO ENSURE THEIR COOPERATION, CONCESSIONS MUST BE MADE." 12:11 AA: "VERY WELL, WE KNOW YOUR INFORMATION NETWORKS ARE ROBUST ENOUGH THAT, IF THERE WERE AN ALTERNATIVE, YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND IT." 12:11 LL: "I have done my best. Why don't you take a little time, and pack your things, and we will take you to the base." 12:12 AA: Merrow still feels a little weird to actually b conspiring WITH the Condesce. 12:12 AA: "YES. YES WE SUPPOSE WE WILL NEED TO BE WELL SUPPLIED. DO WE KNOW THE NATURE OF THIS GAME, WHAT SORTS OF SUPPLIES ARE MOST NECESSARY?" 12:13 LL: "Most are provided. Just take things that are personally relevant." 12:13 AA: "VERY WELL. WE WILL GO TO PREPARE." 12:14 AA: "SHOULD WE....SHOULD WE HUG AGAIN? IS THAT THE PROPER PROTOCOL IN THIS SITUATION?" 12:14 LL: She holds out her arms, and her eyes twitch spasmodically. "I think so?" 12:15 AA: Merrow, entirely out of his element, goes in for another awkward hug. 12:15 LL: It is almost more awkward now, as you've actually started bonding on some weird fundamental level. 12:16 AA: "PERHAPS IT GETS EASIER WITH PRACTICE?" 12:17 LL: "Hopefully. We have to pretend to be a close, happy family in front of those humans. We can't have them attempting to drive a wedge between us." 12:18 AA: "TRUE. AND IT WOULD BE....COMFORTING, WE GUESS? IF IT WERE CLOSER TO THE TRUTH." 12:18 AA: "VERY WELL. WE WILL GO RETRIEVE OUR THINGS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST IN THESE MATTERS, MOTHER." 12:19 LL: "We do what we must, for you, and our people." She smiles. "Go ahead then." 12:19 AA: Merrow returns the way he came.